Kukla's Korner Hockey

A scrum ensued at the end of the first period between Theo Fleury (who had just completed the League imposed substance abuse program) and Tyson Nash, a second-year player with the Blues.

Theo approached me with tears in his eyes after Nash brought up Fleury’s much publicized battle with alcohol and drugs. I approached Blues coach Joel Quenneville in the coach’s room and we agreed to get his player to offer a sincere apology to Theo Fleury on the red line between the two benches prior to the start of the next period. Tyson was visibly shaken when he offered the apology which was accepted by Fleury. The two combatants shook hands, the game finished and I thought that was the end of it.

That is until I was writing my book ten years later and called Tyson Nash for his permission to chronicle the event. The telephone got quiet - Tyson said, “Kerry, that was a life-altering, career-changing incident for me.” It was obvious to me that the apology I forced in 2000 had a profound effect on Tyson Nash even to this day.

Let me share with you in Tyson Nash’s own words the positive impact the incident that night on Madison Square Garden ice had on him.

Comments

This story is a joke right??? I know for a fact that guys make a living talking trash on the ICE. Chris Chelios did the same thing to Theo Fleury at the Joe. Fleury went nuts about it and went after Chelious.

Pussification anyone??

Posted by
Jason
on 01/04/12 at 06:13 PM ET

TSN hit gold with the fraser column. I love reading every one of these things. for a fan, we always kind of wonder what is being said on the ice between refs, and after periods. Reading this stuff is wonderful.

TSN hit gold with the fraser column. I love reading every one of these things. for a fan, we always kind of wonder what is being said on the ice between refs, and after periods. Reading this stuff is wonderful.

Posted by gretzky_to_lemieux on 01/04/12 at 04:23 PM ET

Agreed. Fraser’s column is the best hockey content on the internet. Besides KK, of course.

The book is is christian dork-fest with a displeasing structure, but I loved it and it made me a huge fan of “the Wayne Gretzky of Referees”; hopefully one day he will be in charge. Unfortunately he doesn’t get critical in the book, cause he wants the job, but he certainly is very critical of the NHL.
In the book he says that all the refs have a huge game at the end of training camp and it is super rough. Priceless. That should be the All-Star game, reffed by players.